Notes: Harbaugh says decision to cut Jennings ‘as tough as it gets’

Jim Harbaugh said the 49ers’ most notable roster move Saturday doubled as the most agonizing.

San Francisco cut long snapper Brian Jennings, ending a 13-season relationship that included a franchise-record-tying 208 consecutive games played, two Pro Bowls and zero errant snaps.

Off the field, Harbaugh said he developed fondness for Jennings and termed the decision “as tough as it gets” on a personal level.

“Brian Jennings, to me, we breathe the same air,” Harbaugh said. “There’s nobody that I can say I enjoy more than Brian Jennings. Watching him play, watching him compete, just being around him every single day … The decision was what we felt was in the best interest of the team.”

The decision to retain undrafted rookie Kevin McDermott, 23, allows the 49ers to get younger at the position and save money. McDermott will earn a base salary of $405,000, which is $535,000 less than Jennings was scheduled to earn.

After Jennings and McDermott rotated snaps in offseason workouts, training camp and the first two preseason games, the tenor of their competition changed in the final two exhibition contests when McDermott took 20 of the 22 snaps.

In Thursday night’s preseason finale, he took all 13 snaps. The 49ers wanted to get an extensive look at McDermott under game conditions and they obviously liked what they saw.

McDermott, who termed Jennings a “great mentor,” said he welcomed the pressure-filled challenge of replacing a franchise fixture.

“It is a challenge I embrace and I also understand most people’s reactions,” McDermott said. “Brian Jennings has been one of the best long snappers in the league for 13 years. And when you spend all of your years in one city, there’s a certain connection with the fan base. I understand he’s meant a lot to this city. And there’s a reason for that. He’s a great guy. I just hope I can come in and earn the trust of my teammates and the people of the city.”

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As expected, seventh-round pick B.J. Daniels made the 53-man roster after posting a 128.6 rating in three preseason games.

Daniels completed 13 of 21 passes for 178 yards with three touchdowns and no interceptions. He will begin the season as the No. 3 quarterback behind second-stringer Colt McCoy, who restructured his contract after he posted a 25.3 rating in the first two preseason games. The 49ers signed nine-year veteran Seneca Wallace two days before McCoy revised his one-year deal.

McCoy, who entered before Daniels in preseason games and faced stiffer competition, completed 25 of 43 passes for 241 yards with one touchdown and three interceptions in the preseason. He had a 52.6 rating.

Harbaugh was asked if Daniels could push for the No. 2 spot this season. He declined to say Daniels had the “license and ability.”

“Again, talking about really just jobs in general, who’s competing for the starting job or who’s competing for the backup job, that just takes place,” Harbaugh said. “There’s no discussion about it outside of the practice field and the meeting rooms, except when it relates to the starting quarterback. I can see entertaining a lot of questions on that position as we have in the past, but not the other positions.”

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Harbaugh declined to confirm the 49ers will sign fullback Owen Marecic, one of his former players at Stanford who was cut by the Browns this week (blog here).

Of course, he also didn’t deny the 49ers would be bringing Marecic aboard.

“As always is our policy, we don’t talk about any player who is not a part of our team,” Harbaugh said. “Who we intend to sign, or workout, or what possibilities there are out there. You could just get into an endless discussion about it.”